He kisses me so tenderly I sob softly into his mouth. He pulls away and I know I probably look like a mess.
“I just need to be alone for a little while,” I say in a strangled whisper.
He nods and kisses my forehead. “I’ll come by later to check on you.”
I nod as I reach for the doorknob again and he places his hand over mine. “Maybe you’ll get some answers when we go to Raleigh tomorrow. Maybe your heart will be a little less broken once we leave there.”
I don’t have it in me to tell him that this trust account has nothing to do with my broken heart so I just nod. He kisses my temple once more before I leave. As I descend the steps to my apartment, only one thought occupies my troubled mind: It’s time to call Jackie Knight.
Chapter Sixteen
Relentless Signs
I WAKE UP TO TOTAL darkness with my leg curled around Adam’s leg and my cheek plastered to his stomach. This humidity is becoming too much. The impending tropical storm set to hit the Carolinas tonight is not helping any. I peel my face off his belly and he reaches down to take my face in his hands. He pulls my lips to his and sucks gently on my bottom lip.
“Mmm….” He moans as I lay on top of him. “Happy birthday, babydoll.”
He kisses me hard and I feel him growing beneath me. He flips me onto my back and I come down so hard on the mattress that the two twin beds we pushed together in my bedroom nearly split apart underneath me. We both laugh as we scoot over so we’re not on the crack. He leans in to kiss my neck and I skim my fingers down his washboard abs and grab his hard length.
He moves my hand away as he slithers down and takes my nipple into his mouth, teasing my nipple with his tongue and giving it a soft tug. He moves to my other breast and I grab a fistfuls of his hair to pull him up. I kiss him hungrily as I wrap my legs around his waist.
“It’s your birthday,” he says between kisses. “I’ll do whatever you want.” His tongue slides into my mouth and I suck on it for a bit before he pulls back. “Let me eat you up. You’ll be my slice of birthday cake.”
“We don’t have much time. We have to go to the bank. Let’s multitask and do it in the shower.”
He grins at me as he kisses the tip of my nose. “So efficient. But we have plenty of time. The sun hasn’t even come up yet.”
I turn toward the window then back to him. “Why are we up so early?”
“I wanted to wake you up in time for your favorite time of day.”
He slides down my body and lays a soft kiss between my legs before he rises from the bed. A shiver travels over my thighs and I press my legs together to stop myself from pulling him back on top of me this instant.
We go outside and sit on the bottom of the steps that lead to his apartment as we wait for that golden moment just before the sun comes up.
That’s when he turns to me and whispers in my ear, “I promise today will be the best birthday you’ve ever had.”
When the water in the shower begins to run cold, we drag ourselves out of the shower and take our time drying each other off.
“Wear some comfortable shoes today. No heels.” He gently tugs the brush through my hair as we stand in front of the bathroom mirror. He always wants to brush my hair now that he knows it sends chills through my entire body. “I have a birthday surprise for you and I want you to be comfortable.”
“A surprise for me in Raleigh? You’re not taking me dancing or to a club are you? I hate clubs.”
The brush catches on a knot in my hair and I yelp. “Sorry! No, it’s not a club.” He kisses the top of my head and hands me the brush. “You finish making yourself pretty and I’ll finish making you breakfast.”
Adam considers himself a gourmet chef now that I’ve taught him how to make my favorite fruit and yogurt parfait for breakfast. He keeps both of our refrigerators stocked with yogurt and fruit and makes it for me, along with my favorite kind of coffee, every time we spend the night together. I don’t have the heart to tell him I’m getting sick of it.
An hour later, I emerge from the bathroom fully primped and dressed in a thin, butter-yellow, off-the-shoulder shirt over a camisole and some white jean shorts. And, as Adam requested, I’m wearing some gladiator sandals with no heels. He looks me up and down as I step out of the bedroom while pulling on a silver bangle bracelet Senia gave me for President’s Day. She insists all holidays are an excuse to give gifts.
I pull my phone out of my back pocket to text her as Adam pushes a bowl of fruit and yogurt across the breakfast bar toward me. I smile at him as I punch in a message asking if she’s still meeting Adam and me for an early dinner at Bida Manda. I place my phone next to my bowl of yogurt and take the first bite of yogurt with a chunk of pineapple.